Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It seems that I keep reading that it is illegal in most areas to sell horned lizards. That seems strange to me as in most parts of the USA laws regarding pets are FAR TOO LAXED!. In many states you can keep not only ANY herp but even lions and tiger and bears...OH MY! I think you can have them in MA and we can't have anything!

Is this because Phrynosoma sp. are listed as endangered, threatened or special concern on most of the states in which they occur?

Brian

Hello Brian. Just back from my field study sites and saw your post. Yes, most horned lizard species are listed as Species of Special Concern at the State and/or Federal level. Some species are also protected at the state level as Threatened. There are currently no Federaly listed horned lizards, although the Flattail Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma mcalli, is headed back to court for Threatened status at the Federal level. It will be the first to achieve that status if the court reads the "science" of the past 20 years justifying the listing. The only horned lizards that are legal in the pet trade are the Desert Horned Lizards and the Shorthorned Lizards from Nevada and the Roundtail Horned Lizards from Texas (which will be changing soon). Your note about keeping lions and tigers and bears is somewhat true. There are specieal permits required from the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service to keep such "critters" though. Just like there are special permits to keep poisonous snakes and other non-native "critters." Lester G. Milroy III

Thank you for that excellent info! I am very pro-conservation...far more so that pro-pet owner. The resource is most important. I have a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and spent my college years working in the herpetology collection in the Comparitive Zoology Museum at U-Mass Amherst. I now teach Environmetal Science.

I breed blue-tongue skinks and Russian tortoises at the school. For some reason I was interested in trying Phrynosoma as a North American genus and a challenge. I'd would eventually like to offer our services to Mass Wildlife for any native species who may benefit from captive breeding. (The biggerst problem around here is really habitat loss!)

Everything I've dug up seems to suggest P. hernandezi as the best candidate for us. They occur in very northern latitudes. We are in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6/7. That is the same as the northern half of AZ. It just seems finding a legal AND guiltless source of specimens is as challenging as husbandry!

Thanks again,

Brian

Following is the official word from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation on the Texas Horned Lizard:

"The Texas horned lizard remains common in parts of western Oklahoma, but has shown a dramatic decline in both
range and population size in the eastern and central parts of the state since the 1960s. Several possible reasons have
been proposed for the decline, but little evidence exists to determine the true causes. The horned lizard's decline is
most likely the result of a combination of factors with the importance of each factor varying from one part of the
state to the next.

"The Texas horned lizard is classified as a 'Species of Special Concern.' In 1992, Oklahoma regulations established a
year-round closed season on these lizards and 20 other rare reptile and amphibian species. It is unlawful to kill,
capture, keep as pets or sell Texas horned lizards without specific written permission. While the Texas horned lizard
is not an endangered or threatened species, its widespread decline has caused concern for its future status. The
closed season is designed to protect it from unnecessary collection."

For further info, check out the link.
Texas Horned Lizard

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MichaelB